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Read part of the screenplay, ‘The Doughnut Admirer’ in honour of National Doughnut Day

In honour of National Doughnut Day I felt it only appropriate to share the first few pages from my screenplay, ‘The Doughnut Admirer‘. The script is still in pre-production, but has already been nominated for Best Screenplay at three different film festivals around the world. I will be in Chicago for the Windy City International Film Festival from June 30 – July 2nd where it has been nominated. Without further adieu, I give you ‘The Doughnut Admirer.

[fountain]

INT. OFFICE ELEVATOR – MORNING

JOSH, an average looking man is his early thirties rides the elevator up to his 23rd floor cubicle at a large insurance company with several other employees. Same boring office. Same boring people. Same boring office casual. Same boring job.

INT. OFFICE FLOOR

Josh exits the elevator and steps into the large U-shaped office heading for his cubicle.

INT. OFFICE CUBICLE

He sets his bag down and turns to put his coat on the hook his has on his cubical wall and spins to sit down in his chair. He goes to wiggle the mouse to log onto his computer, but instead of putting his hand on the mouse he puts his hand on a chocolate frosted doughnut.

JOSH
What the hell?

He stares down blankly at his chocolate covered hand and smudged doughnut.

JOSH (CONT’D)
Where the hell did this come from? Does everybody have one?

Josh stands up to peer at the cubicles around him. The girl next to him doesn’t have a doughnut. Neither does the guy across the aisle. Josh decides to walk down the aisle and peer into the cubicles where people haven’t arrived yet. Plus…

JOSH (CONT’D)
I need to wash my fucking hand.

INT. OFFICE FLOOR

He quietly peers into one cubicle after another to search for doughnuts. Nothing. No doughnuts. [/fountain]

[fountain]

INT. OFFICE BREAK ROOM

He makes it to the break room and washes his hands. Josh looks around the room and checks the table.

JOSH
There’s not even doughnuts here.

INT. OFFICE FLOOR

Josh wanders back, but down a different aisle peering in more cubicles along the way.

INT. OFFICE CUBICLE

He sits back down at his desk and just stares at the doughnut.

JOSH
Do I eat it? Homer would eat it. He wouldn’t even question it.

Josh begins devouring the doughnut.

JOSH (CONT’D)
Mmmmm…. Doughnut.

He finds his mouse. Wiggles it and types in his password to begin work.

CUT TO:

INT. JOSH’S APARTMENT – EVENING

LUKE, a good looking guy in his early thirties in a nice suit sits on a coach eating take out Chinese. COOPER, a bearded man around the same age wearing old gym shorts and a stained t-shirt is playing Grand Theft Auto V while Luke looks on.

JOSH
Coop, when are you going to stop living on our couch? [/fountain]

[fountain]

COOPER
Bro, harsh. I’ve got a lot of things lining up.

LUKE
Things? Like what?

COOPER
You know, stuff.

LUKE
Whatever. Josh goes into the kitchen and grabs a beer out of the fridge.

LUKE (CONT’D)
Hey, grab me one too.

Josh grabs a second beer and opens them. He brings one to Luke and sits on the lazy boy against the wall.

LUKE (CONT’D)
So, who gave you the doughnut?

JOSH
No, fucking clue man. There was no note. No one came by to ask about it. Just a chocolate iced doughnut on a blank white napkin.

COOPER
Maybe you have like a secret admirer or something.

JOSH
Oh, fuck that. Grow up, Coop.

CUT TO:

INT. OFFICE ELEVATOR – MORNING – DAY 2

Josh rides the elevator up to his 23rd floor cubicle at a large insurance company with several other employees. Same boring office. Same boring people. Same boring office casual. Same boring job. Nothing like monotony.

INT. OFFICE FLOOR

Josh exits the elevator and heads for his desk space. [/fountain]

[fountain]

INT. OFFICE CUBICLE

He sets his bag down and turns to put his coat on the hook he has on his cubical wall and spins to sit down in the chair. He goes to wiggle the mouse to log onto is computer, but instead of putting his hand on the mouse he puts his hand on a white frosted doughnut with sprinkles.

JOSH
Again?!

Josh stands up and looks all around the office floor to see it anyone is watching him. He sees his boss, MARGORIE, a small middle aged woman in a business suit. She points at him angrily and points to her office door. Josh rises from his desk and makes the walk of shame to Margorie’s office.

INT. OFFICE – MORNING

Margorie sternly walks behind her desk like a disciplinary nun from a 50’s Catholic school just waiting to wrap him on the knuckles.

MARGORIE
Sit.

Josh takes a seat and watches as she stares out her window out onto downtown Chicago.

JOSH
Good morning, Mar…

MARGORIE
How long have you been working here?

JOSH
Over 4 years now.

MARGORIE
Why have I never noticed you before? Do you always just stand around and skulk or do you actually have work to do?

JOSH
What? [/fountain]

[fountain]

MARGORIE
I’m sure you have adjusting or claims reports or whatever instead of gawking at everything in the office.

Margorie presses a button on the device on her desk.

MARGORIE (CONT’D)
Tina, make certain we find Mr…?

Margorie looks at Josh.

Beat.

JOSH
Cav…

MARGORIE (interrupting)
Oh, who cares? Find this man some work so he’ll stop staring at everything else in sight like a lost simpleton.

Beat.

MARGORIE (CONT’D)
And get Becky to find out who put avocado in Mr. Braun’s breakfast sandwich.

TINA (over the intercom)
Right away, mother.

Josh just sits there in shock. Margorie had been the person who hired him in the first place and now had no idea who he was.